title: Cognitive impairment among different clinical courses of multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As of yet, no consensus has been reached regarding cognitive impairment profiles in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients based on the MS type and disease duration. The main objective of this study was to describe cognitive impairment at the early stages of MS. The secondary objective was to compare cognitive performances in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), secondary progressive (SP) MS and primary progressive (PP) MS.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 128 MS patients and 63 healthy controls (HC). The study constituted five groups: early RR (ERR) (<3 years); late RR (LRR) (>10 years), SP, PP, and healthy Controls (HC). A neuropsychological assessment was performed including information processing speed (IPS), working memory, verbal episodic memory and executive functions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to HC, only impairment in phonemic fluency was observed in ERR. Slowing IPS, impairment in working memory and phonemic fluency were shown in LRR. In progressive forms, deficits were observed in verbal episodic memory, in working memory, in flexibility, in semantic and phonemic fluencies, with a slowing IPS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Verbal fluency is impaired at early stage of RRMS, in this form of MS, impairment increased with MS duration, and distinct cognitive profiles were observed between chronic and progressive forms.
authors.affiliation: Central Hospital, CHU de Nancy, Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Helene
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brissart
authors.forename: Elodie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morele
authors.forename: Cedric
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baumann
authors.forename: Matthieu Le
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Perf
authors.forename: Matthieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leininger
authors.forename: Laetitia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Taillemite
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dillier
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pittion
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spitz
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Debouverie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020528:Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D063189:Symptom Assessment / Q000523:psychology